[Darth-Apple]

I was getting doxxed (stalked on social media and having personal information leaked publicly by strangers). Things got out of hand a tadddd bit too much. 

And before you assume too much, I'm staunchly opposed to racism of any kind. I got doxxed by racist people saying some... very offensive things. Let's put it that way.  

I decided to deactivate my primary facebook account until after the election. I did this in 2016 and it was a good decision. (For anyone who isn't in America, it's absolute chaos on the streets here. It's pretty much war in a lot of places, so we're hanging in there the best we can. My city has stayed safe and thankfully, the police here did an excellent job listening to the people and addressing injustice. Not all cities in America can stay the same. That being said, I love my country and I do everything I can to make a positive difference. I'm very thankful to have a roof over my head and will never complain, knowing there are people who are doing much worse. I'm blessed and very thankful. )

Anyway, I feel much lighter and less stressed already. I created a new one for close friends and have about 20 people on it, and that's it. It's amazing how much better I feel not having to stress about being doxxed, finding random screenshots of my profile everywhere, and getting hate mail from people 2-3/week in my inbox and my posts. People are unhinged. It's amazing, in all the wrong ways. It's just... I'm truthfully shocked and speechless. 

Stay safe everyone. Make sure your posts are private on FB and otherwise!

[Guardian]

Good for you. I have a ton of people on mine, but only to stay in connection to them. My pictures are 10 years old and my primary doesn't even show my face. I don't post any info, just share the occasional thing. I'm already paranoid about people. People on my FB don't know anything about going on in my personal life thankfully.

As for the streets... yeah, we haven't been downtown in a LONG time. People are going on FB and carrying for people to support the local business because they're struggling, but people (with kids) have been assaulted and had cars attacked because they tried to do just that. No thanks, I'll stay home.

[Darth-Apple]

It's crazy times we're in these days. It's good that you don't have much personal info on yours. I was getting stalked by strangers who were hunting up mine, so I've pretty much done the same on my new one.

It's just not safe to have a wide-open social media these days. It's just not safe at all with the way things are right now. Glad you've been able to stay safe.

[SpookyZalost]

Frak me... I'm glad I just don't use facebook and keep everything limited to a close nit group of people...

[Darth-Apple]

That's about all we can do now. That's all that matters: A few close knit people that you can stay close to.

[s3_gunzel]

I don't think I could give up Facebook. I just enjoy the rail circlejerk far too much.

[Kyng]

Wow, that's not nice to go through at all . I do hope you can get those people to leave you alone.

But, yeah... I can certainly understand wanting to escape the political drama (it does get very tiresome). Though, personally, I don't think I could quit Facebook that easily: it's become my only way of keeping in contact with a bunch of real life friends, especially in the middle of COVID. (If I did quit, I'd have to make alternative arrangements with all these other people)

[Darth-Apple]

Agreed. These days it’s hard not to have one. Its a great way to connect with people, especially over long distance.

I just created a small new one. Very well locked down in terms of privacy settings. I have about 30 people and close friends/family on it, and that’s it.

Politics in the US has gotten... well, it’s beyond any belief really. It’s pretty much a civil war. History is going to call it that. I don’t know anyone who isn’t discussing politics on FB (myself included) but a portion of it is virtue signaling and highly toxic posts, doxxing, death threats among other things. I’m all for discussing it on FB (I myself so it), but doxxing and death threats, and hate speech are not appropriate.

That being said, I do not at all condone racism and have strongly stood by as an ally for equality for many years. That has not changed. It is more important now than it ever has been before.

Having it cut down to about 30 people on a brand new account has been great. I genuinely feel much happier and less stressed. It will grow with time, but I need a break to recharge, and the new account is much more locked down to protect me from getting doxxed by people again.

[SpookyZalost]

civil war? I don't know about that but it is a war of ideals and ways of doing things with progressivism and conservatism butting heads over which way is right (I'm looking at you carolina, florida, and georgia). still it's like a battle on two fronts, with the government trying to calm things down, the civilian defense forces having been getting too out of control for a while, and people in fear that their ways are going to be eliminated of something they're opposed to.

it's why I don't really use social media, I'd rather not take a walk through that space when I have more important stuff to focus on, like my jeep going into the shop next week, or the fabrication space I'm designing so I can get permits to build it sometime in the next year or so.

[Thomas]

I deleted my facebook last month. I've kinda missed it but only because I could look people up...